Modern sowing games
Modern sowing games are often modifications of traditional mancala games. In contrast to traditional games, their rules are handed down by written records rather than by talking and their inventor is still known. Some invented games may, however, be turned into traditional games through a process called 'folklorization' in social sciences. Kalah is already firmly rooted in the popular culture of America and Germany. The birth of modern sowing games is linked to the rise of capitalism and the game industry (see Mangola and Chuba). Several games were patented (e.g. Banking Ball Game, Robertson's Mancala Game, and Balduman's Mancala Game), although only a few of them were eventually marketed (Kalah). Many games were designed by mathematicians as research problems, but may not be very playable for humans (Ioiwari, Stones in Cups, Nano-Wari). The advent of the internet made it far more easier to communicate new rules and so fostered an unprecedented growth of new games. These modern games often employ totally new concepts which makes it increasingly difficult to define them as mancala games, so the more general term "sowing games" is used here instead. There are games with reverse sowing (Bulgarian Solitaire and its variants), simultaneous sowing (55Stones), cards (Octagon, Druidenwalzer, Rondell), and stacking (Rondell, Martian Mancala, Pyramidis). Several games are using a two-dimensional board topology. And yet, many invented games are still defined along the characteristics of traditional ones (sowing, cycles, undifferentiated counters, one-dimensional board topology). Most often they are variants of Oware or Dakon as these traditional mancala games are best known in Europe and America. The tables below list 164 games. One-dimensional Games Solitaires Games, which can only be played by a single person. Two-player Games Games, which must be played by two persons. Group Games (>2 Players) This includes two-player games and solitaires, which can be played by 3 and more people. Two-dimensional Games Two-player Games Games, which must be played by two persons. Group Games (>2 Players) This includes two-player games and solitaires, which can be played by 3 and more people. Commercialized Games |- | Exxit || 2003 || Vincent Everaert || France || 2 || single || largest territory || two-dimensional; sowing mechanism is called "dancing" |- | 4-Player Mancala || 2001 (?) || Gary MacLeod (?) || USA || 2-4 || single || capturing counters || Kalah variant |- | Nasty Crossroads || early 2000s || Sue and Joe Hanson || USA || 4 || single || capturing counters || cross-shaped board |- | Basic Crossroads || early 2000s || Sue and Joe Hanson || USA || 4 || single || capturing counters || cross-shaped board |- | Druidenwalzer || 1999 || Michael Rieneck || Germany || 2 || single || capturing holes || card game imitating a mancala game (Druidenwalzer = Sowing) |- | étoile || 1999 || Michael Palm || Germany || 2 || single || pattern || cross-over between Four-in-a-Row and mancala games; stacking |- | Banan-Cala || 1998 || Vince Kurr || USA || 2 || single || capturing counters || Kalah variant |- | Bao Arabica || 1998 || Matthias Kumpernaß || Germany || 2-4 || single || capturing counters || name = exoticism; Oware variant |- | Calady || 1998 || Alexander H. Slocum || USA || 4 || single || capturing counters || cross-shaped board; Kalah variant (versions 1-2); Oware variant (version 3) |- | Cirk || 1998 || Corné van Moorsel || Netherlands || 2 || single || last move || shared pits; no draws |- | Kid-Cala (Beginner's Version) || 1998 || Vince Kurr || USA || 2 || single || empty pits || Kalah variant |- | Space Walk || 1997 || Rüdiger Dorn || Germany || 2-5 || single || retaining counters and chips || Kalah variant; double-moves |- | Conga || 1995 || Martin Franke || Germany || 2 || single || pattern || cross-over between Four-in-a-Row and mancala games; two-dimensional |- | Pyramidis || 1988 || Roland Siegers || Belgium || 2 or 4 || single || removing five pyramids of your own color || cross-shaped, if played by 4 players; stacking |- | Gulek || 1987 || Michael Winkelmann || Austria || 2-6 || single || capturing counters || - |- | Pass It On || 1978 || (?) || USA || 2-4 || single || empty pits; penalty points || variant of Ruma and Kalah; no draws Non-commercialized Games Important Notes: * An Oware variant is any single-lap game in which two or three stones are captured (this is a rather inclusive definition). * A Ba-awa variant is any multi-lap games in which groups of four are captured, even during moving. * A Vai Lung Thlan variant is any single-lap game in which singletons are captured. * A Kalah variant is any single-lap, multi-player game with functional endholes or stores. * A Sungka variant is any multi-lap, multi-player game with functional endholes. * A Tchuka Ruma variant is any solitaire game with functional endholes. See also Traditional mancala games Copyright © Wikimanqala. By: Ralf Gering Under the CC by-sa 2.5 license. * *